Gozleme might not be as mainstream as pizza or calzone, but they’re just as delicious! Hailing from Turkey, they’re a simple bread dish that packs a punch. But, what is the best way to store any you’ve made?
Can You Freeze Gozleme?
Yes, you can freeze gozleme for up to 3 months. The best way to do this is to individually package each gozleme in an airtight freezer bag, pressing as much air out as possible before sealing and freezing.
Do Does Gozleme freeze well? Yes
Can you refreeze Gozleme? No
How to Freeze Gozleme
Knowing how best to freeze gozleme isnāt tricky, but itās worth following our method to make sure that your gozleme are at their peak when you thaw and eat them.
- Package Each Gozleme: Generally, each gozleme is enough for a meal or a shared snack which is why it’s a good idea to freeze each gozleme individually. The easiest way to do this is to pop each gozleme into a freezer bag.
- Remove Excess Air: Press as much air out of the gozleme packages as possible before you seal them. The reason is that air is the medium through which freezer burn travels best. Seal the bags up most of the way then push the excess air through the gap you have created.
- Seal: Once you have removed the air, quickly seal the bag so no air can re-enter the bag. You need to ensure your bag has a good seal. Do not opt for cheap sandwich bags here!
- Label and Freeze: Write a clear label on the bag (including the filling) and then pop the bags carefully into the freezer, ensuring none of them are going to get crushed.
- Stack: Once the gozleme are frozen solid in your freezer, you can rearrange them a little so they don’t take up as much space. They can be stacked side-by-side as there is no risk of them getting crushed now.
3 Tips for Freezing Gozleme
Now you know how to freeze it, we’ve got our 3 top tips which we strongly recommend following when freezing gozleme to have the best results:
Get Rid of the Air
Removing as much air as possible from the packaging will prevent freezer burn, of course, but it will also prevent the outer layer of the gozleme from going stale.
Consider the Fillings
Whenever youāre freezing something that is a mixture of several different ingredients bought together, itās worth considering if any of the ingredients within that mixture will stand up to freezing particularly poorly. Some cheese, for example, won’t freeze well in gozleme.
Freeze Solid Before Stacking
Gozleme are fragile before they are frozen solid. To avoid ruining their shape and appearance, make sure you freeze them flat until they are solid. Once solid, you can then stack them more efficiently.
How Long Can You Freeze Gozleme?
You can freeze gozleme for around 3 months.
Beyond that time, theyāll still be totally safe to eat, but the truth is that theyāll taste an awful lot less fresh and theyāll typically lose texture, too.
You should also consider the weakest ingredient in the filling. Cheese and meat, for example, will not hold up for as long in the freezer as some vegetable fillings.
Gozleme dough can be kept in the fridge for around 3 days, and cooked gozleme will last for 2 days. You should not refrigerate uncooked and filled gozleme.
How Do You Defrost Gozleme?
The best way to defrost gozleme is to place them straight into the oven from the freezer.
Preheat your oven to 190C or 375F, and bake them for 10 to 15 minutes, or until heated through and thawed. If youāre concerned about food safety, we might suggest using a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature of the gozleme.
Can You Refreeze Gozleme?
This depends on the filling that youāve chosen. You cannot refreeze gozleme if they contain meat, dairy, or fish.
The reason that those items, in particular, cannot be refrozen is that theyāre susceptible to bacterial growth when thawed. Therefore, if theyāve had that bacteria grow during thawing, and then you refreeze them, youāre cross-contaminating clean food with contaminated food.
Does Gozleme Freeze Well?
Yes, gozleme does freeze quite well!
The reason for this is that theyāre quite a dense form of food, and those denser options do tend to freeze very well. When there are fewer air bubbles within the food youāre freezing, it will generally freeze better.
Related FAQs
If youāve still got questions about freezing gozleme or gozleme in general, then these may help:
Yes, you can! Gozleme do not need to be thawed to be cooked. In fact, this can result in soggy gozleme. Instead, it’s better to cook them directly from the freezer.
